India, March 25 -- On the heels of one of the coldest winters in memory for large swaths of the country, new research highlights an often overlooked cost of cold weather: months with lower temperatures see significantly greater rates of death from heart attacks, strokes and coronary artery disease than milder months.

According to a study being presented at the American College of Cardiology's Annual Scientific Session (ACC.26), hotter temperatures were also associated with increases in cardiovascular deaths, but at a more modest rate.

Previous studies have linked temperature extremes with increased cardiovascular mortality, but most research has focused on other countries or on limited portions of the United States.

For example, a past...